LANGSTON – In an exciting championship showdown at C.F. Gayles Area Home, HBCU Langston College claimed its third consecutive Sooner Athletic Convention (SAC) match title with a 65-62 victory over Nelson College. The win caps one other dominant marketing campaign for head coach Chris Wright and the Lions, who’ve solidified themselves as one of the formidable applications in HBCU and NAIA basketball.
The championship recreation noticed Langston (24-7) battle by adversity, trailing 61-60 within the remaining two minutes. Nonetheless, the Lions remained poised below strain. Senior guard Mario McKinney delivered within the clutch with a go-ahead layup, and after essential defensive stops, Bryce Monroe iced the sport on the free-throw line, ending with a team-high 17 factors. Monroe’s efficiency all through the match earned him SAC Event Most Beneficial Participant honors, whereas teammate Amoro Lado, who added 10 factors within the remaining, secured a spot on the SAC All-Event Group.
This title continues a outstanding stretch for Langston, which has dominated the SAC for the reason that 2022-2023 season. That 12 months, the Lions made historical past by capturing their first SAC match crown, signaling a shift in this system’s trajectory. They adopted that up in 2023-2024 with one other convention title and a good deeper postseason run, advancing all the best way to the NAIA nationwide championship recreation. Although they fell simply in need of the final word prize, Langston’s efforts put HBCU basketball on full show on the highest degree of NAIA competitors.
Now, with one other championship secured, Langston awaits its subsequent problem within the NAIA Males’s Basketball Championship. The Lions will study their nationwide match seeding on March 7, with their sights set on making one other deep run and bringing an NAIA nationwide title dwelling to Langston College. Below Wright’s management, this system has change into synonymous with sustained excellence, and with their third straight SAC title, the Lions proceed to construct on their legacy as one of many premier applications in HBCU basketball.